U.S. Foreign Policy Relies on ‘Ramboism,’ Byrd Says

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — Senate Democratic leader Robert C. Byrd charged Friday that the Reagan Administration’s “reliance on Ramboism” in selling arms to Iran has damaged America’s standing in the world and hurt chances for an agreement on nuclear weapons with the Soviet Union.

Addressing a policy conference of party leaders here, the West Virginia senator used some of the harshest language yet heard from a prominent Democrat in denouncing the Reagan White House for the arms-sale scandal.

“In my 34 years in the Senate, I have never seen such an arbitrary, arrogant, partisan White House as I have seen in the last six years,” Byrd said. He called on Reagan to “reach out” to the new, Democratic-controlled Congress to help restore credibility to his beleaguered Administration.

Blames Policy

Noting that the President had blamed the public backlash over the affair on mistakes made in its execution, Byrd said it was the policy itself that was at fault:

“A foreign policy which emphasizes secrecy, covert operations and ad hoc militarism is unbalanced and unwise,” said Byrd, who recently was chosen to be Senate majority leader in the upcoming 100th Congress.

“Too often, the secretive foreign policy gambit ends up as a failure and--as in this instance--an international diplomatic disaster.

“In the long run, such reliance on Ramboism denies America future opportunities to serve as a good-faith broker and an enlightened and strong world leader,” Byrd said.

Byrd spoke at a gathering sponsored by the Democratic Leadership Council, an organization of Democratic elected officials, mostly conservatives and moderates who have sought to shift the party away from its traditional liberal moorings.

Vows Quest for Truth

Referring to the select committee that the Senate will name to investigate the Iran-arms sales affair, Byrd said: “We are not interested in making a President or unmaking a President. We are after the truth.”

House Speaker-elect Rep. Jim Wright (D-Tex.) also addressed the two-day meeting here, and made a similar pledge about the committee of inquiry that will be impaneled in the House.

“We will not be content until the truth is out on the table,” Wright said.